Speed camera fines more expensive? How much will you pay after the 2026 changes?

In brief

The maximum fine for offenses recorded by speed cameras is set to increase to 7,500 PLN.
The draft provides for the loss of the vehicle registration certificate in the event of failure to respond to a request to identify the driver.
The new regulations assume a reduction in the measurement tolerance of devices, which will affect the frequency of issuing fines.

Fines up to 7,500 PLN – the new fine schedule in detail

The Ministry of Infrastructure is radically changing its approach to traffic offenses. The new draft assumes that penalties for speed camera photos could reach as much as 7,500 PLN. Information about such a drastic jump in rates is confirmed by industry media, including Farmer.pl, TVN Turbo, and MotoGuru.pl. This is not a cosmetic adjustment of regulations, but an attempt to completely seal the enforcement system, which for years allowed drivers to avoid responsibility. As journalists at wPolsce24 note, the state is losing patience with uncollectible fines.

However, the amount itself is only half the problem. A real headache for vehicle owners may be caused by another sanction. According to the draft's assumptions, lack of cooperation in identifying the perpetrator of an offense will result in the loss of the vehicle registration certificate. This solution, about which the first signals flowed as early as March 2026 from the portal brd24.pl, strikes at the foundation of the strategy used by many drivers until now. The era of hiding behind memory lapses or pointing to fictitious foreigners will end.

Drivers face a simple choice: either identify the actual driver or prepare for serious administrative trouble that will take the car off the road. The authorities openly admit that speed cameras are also meant to save the budget, which raises questions about priorities. Is it solely about improving safety, or about creating an effective money-making machine from motorists? The scale of the penalties suggests that the infrastructure ministry has opted for the second option. Leasing and fleet owners are already analyzing the costs of handling such cases, because the implementation of the regulations means that every mistake on the road will cost much more than current fines.

Sealing the system: no more dodging fines

The infrastructure ministry is challenging drivers who have used legal loopholes for years to avoid responsibility for offenses recorded by speed cameras. The new draft of regulations, reported by Onet among others, makes the matter clear: the era of impunity is coming to an end. The Ministry no longer intends to tolerate situations where vehicle owners hide behind memory lapses, pointing to fictitious people, or simply ignoring service summons. The system is to be sealed to the limit.

The costs of such insubordination will be gigantic. The draft assumes the introduction of penalties reaching up to 7,500 PLN for people who do not cooperate in identifying the actual perpetrator of an offense. This is not just a cosmetic increase, but an attempt to eliminate the practice of not indicating the driver, which has become a plague in Polish legal realities. The authorities hope that such a drastic financial burden will effectively discourage car owners from trying to "dodge" a fine.

However, this is not the end of the restrictions. The most severe sanction provided for in the draft may turn out to be the loss of the vehicle registration certificate. Such a radical step is intended to force fleet owners and private individuals to full transparency in contacts with law enforcement agencies. Skeptics are already asking about the constitutionality of such strict solutions, pointing to the risk of abuse, but the government remains adamant. The goal is the rapid execution of penalties, not conducting years of protracted explanatory proceedings. In practice, this means that in 2026, responsibility for a speed camera photo will become almost automatic, and attempting to avoid the penalty will cost much more than the fine for speeding itself.

Lower measurement tolerance – what does this mean for the driver?

The new draft of the Ministry of Infrastructure hits drivers not only with the amount of fines, reaching 7,500 PLN, but above all with a change in the precision of the devices themselves. According to announcements flowing from industry reports, the upcoming correction of regulations assumes a radical reduction in the measurement tolerance of speed cameras. Until now, the margin of error allowed for some breathing room; now this freedom will be drastically limited.

According to information published by wPolsce24, the era of leniency for measuring devices is ending irrevocably. The technical side of the changes, signaled by samar.pl, is not limited only to equipment calibration. It is a deep interference in the operating principles of the speed camera network, which is intended to make the system merciless. In practice, this means that even a minimal speeding violation, which until now could have fallen within the measurement error or "safety margin," will now be recorded as an offense subject to a high penalty.

For the driver, this change has concrete consequences. Every speedometer shows speed with a certain delay relative to reality, and now control systems will be even more sensitive. Drivers who relied on the current margin of error must prepare for a series of unpleasant letters.

The Ministry leaves no illusions. The new law is intended to eliminate so-called dodging of responsibility. If the vehicle owner does not indicate the perpetrator of the offense, they will not only pay a severe penalty but must count on strict administrative sanctions, including the loss of the registration certificate. This is no longer just a financial issue; it is a blow to the driver's mobility. The system is becoming so tight that every fraction of a second and every kilometer per hour over the limit will start to generate a measurable cost in the household budget.

Consequences for owners and lessors

The new draft of the Ministry of Infrastructure hits drivers' wallets directly, but it also ricochets into the automotive market. The increase in fines to the level of 7,500 PLN is not just a painful fee, but a real threat to the financial liquidity of many car users. The most severe changes concern the way the system will force vehicle owners to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. If you do not indicate the driver, you will not only pay a high fine but risk losing your registration certificate. This will effectively eliminate the car from road traffic, which for many companies means logistical paralysis.

The situation is particularly complicated in the external financing sector. As samar.pl points out, the new rules regarding vehicle leasing force leasing companies to change their current fine handling policy. Until now, the role of the lessor was often limited to passing data to the authorities, but now this process must be much more restrictive to avoid financial liability.

The increase in fees for offenses will also affect entities using external financing, which is already causing concern among entrepreneurs. Fleet cost estimation will become more expensive, and the risk associated with the unclear status of the driver – much greater. In practice, this means the following changes for owners of leased and rented cars:

The necessity to implement advanced driver record systems so that the lessor can identify the person responsible for an offense at any time.
Higher handling fees imposed by leasing companies for processing each speed camera summons, which is a direct consequence of the growing pressure from the ministry.
The risk of blocking the possibility of using the vehicle by the client in the event that the perpetrator identification procedures fail, which according to the draft may result in the seizure of the car's documents.

For the average entrepreneur, this is a simple signal. The era of anonymity behind the wheel of a company car is ending definitively.

Loss of registration certificate: a new weapon in the fight against speeders

The Ministry of Infrastructure has prepared a regulation that definitively ends the era of impunity for vehicle owners who cannot or will not identify the driver. According to the draft's assumptions, the most severe penalty will no longer be just a high fine reaching 7,500 PLN. The legislator is reaching for a tool much more burdensome for the driver's daily existence: the loss of the registration certificate.

The principle is simple and brutal. Failure to pay an issued fine or a complete lack of response to a speed camera summons will trigger the procedure for seizing the document. Information on this subject, published by the brd24.pl website, leaves no illusions about the ministry's intentions. The goal is to force car owners to immediately identify the perpetrators of offenses. No more "stalling" or hiding behind memory lapses months after the event.

In practice, this means excluding the car from road traffic. For the average driver who uses a vehicle to commute to work or handle family matters, the loss of the registration certificate is a logistical paralysis much worse than a one-time transfer to the tax office's account. The state has decided that hitting property rights and the ability to use a car will work more effectively than subsequent, even drastically high, fines.

However, this solution raises questions about situations where the owner is actually unable to determine who was driving the car, for example in the case of large families or companies with many employees. The draft, in its current form, seems to ignore these nuances, opting for zero-one responsibility. The ministry seems to assume that the fear of immobilizing the vehicle will prove to be a sufficient motivator to keep meticulous records of every trip, which in practice shifts the administrative burden from law enforcement agencies directly onto the shoulders of citizens.

The budgetary aspect of the changes – is this a new source of state income?

The new draft of the Ministry of Infrastructure leaves no illusions. Drivers who ignore summons to identify the perpetrator of an offense recorded by a speed camera must count on drastic consequences. We are talking about penalties reaching up to 7,500 PLN and the prospect of losing the registration certificate. This is no longer just a matter of disciplining traffic, but a tool with a clear fiscal tinge.

As reported by wPolsce24, speed cameras are beginning to be perceived directly as a rescue for the state budget. The Ministry, by introducing higher fees for offenses, is implementing a new fiscal policy in which the driver becomes an easily accessible taxpayer. Experts notice a clear friction here. On one hand, the government argues the necessity of changes with improved safety; on the other, the level of penalties suggests that the main goal is patching the budget hole.

It is difficult to resist the impression that the trust between the administration and motorists has been finally broken. Previous attempts by vehicle owners to avoid responsibility were merely a legal loophole. Now the state is responding to it with force. Instead of sealing the system in a civilized way, it reaches for a radical solution: taking away the registration certificate will immobilize the car, which in practice means for many people the loss of their work tool.

The scale of the increases is unprecedented. The amount of 7,500 PLN for lack of cooperation in identifying the perpetrator is a ruinous sum for the average Pole. Under the guise of concern for order on the roads, there is a mechanism that in 2026 will become a permanent element of public financing. Drivers, by paying for their mistakes, will thereby finance subsequent holes in the state treasury. The question of whether this model will survive remains open. For now, however, it is the citizen who is to pay for everything.

What this means for you

For drivers, this means the end of the 'impunity' era and the need for much more careful driving. The state budget and road safety will gain, but drivers' wallets will lose. The catch lies in the rigorous treatment of car owners, who will be held responsible for the actions of other people if they do not identify the perpetrator.

Questions and answers

Am I really threatened with a 7,500 PLN fine for a simple speeding violation?

Yes, the Ministry of Infrastructure's draft provides for maximum penalties at this level for the most serious offenses recorded by speed camera systems.

What will happen if I don't pay the fine on time?

According to the draft, failure to respond threatens not only a high fee but even the loss of the vehicle's registration certificate.

Do the changes also apply to leased cars?

Yes, samar.pl points out that the new rules will also cover issues related to leasing, which may affect the procedures for handling fines by financing companies.

Sources

Article prepared by the Wiadomości PRO editorial team with the support of artificial intelligence. Facts come from the sources provided above.